Hanon Exercise No. 57: fingering, tempo and how to practice it
Hanon Exercise No. 57 is part of “The Virtuoso Pianist, Part III (Nos. 44–60): exercices du virtuose” by Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900). Main focus: the greatest mechanical challenges. This part contains repeated notes, double notes, scales in thirds and in octaves, and tremolos; the content of each number will be confirmed when it is transcribed. Suggested tempos: start at ♩ = 40 to learn it, practice at ♩ = 50 and work up to the target of ♩ = 60. Difficulty 6/10 (intermediate).
What it trains
- The greatest mechanical challenges. This part contains repeated notes, double notes, scales in thirds and in octaves, and tremolos; the content of each number will be confirmed when it is transcribed.
- Wrist flexibility and stamina.
How to practice it
- Don't start this part until you have mastered the previous two.
- In double notes and octaves the wrist stays loose: if it stiffens, stop.
- Keep sessions short: these exercises tire the hand a lot.
Tempo ladder: ♩ = 40 → ♩ = 45 → ♩ = 50 → ♩ = 55 → ♩ = 60. Only move up a step once the take comes out clean; in the app, the progressive metronome does it for you.
| Composer | Charles-Louis Hanon (1819–1900) |
|---|---|
| Work | The Virtuoso Pianist, Part III (Nos. 44–60): exercices du virtuose |
| Difficulty | 6/10 · Intermediate |
| Suggested tempos | learn ♩ = 40 · practice ♩ = 50 · target ♩ = 60 |
| Where the target tempo comes from | tempo marked in the score (♩ = 60): consistent with its dominant note value (sixteenth note, 4.0 notes/s). Not documented as the composer's metronome mark. |
| Transposable | yes, to all 12 keys |
| Status in the app | Being verified |
| Copyright | public domain: Hanon died in 1900 |
All 60 exercises are in the complete Hanon list; the method, in how to practice Hanon.